Magistrate Abigail Lofaro and lawyer Anna Felice have been appointed as judges, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.

Addressing the media at a post-Cabinet briefing, Dr Lawrence Gonzi said that a bill of law to set up a tribunal for the revision of administrative decisions will be tabled in parliament soon.

Dr Gonzi, visibly proud of the appointment of the first two female judges in Malta, said that they will be sworn in on Wednesday. Dr Audrey Demicoli will take over Magistrate Lofaro’s post.

Cabinet also approved a number of measures to speed up the judicial process.

The government, Dr Gonzi said, had decided to table a bill to set up a tribunal for the revision of administrative decisions because this was needed in order to abolish the countless revising boards that were created in the past.

He said that the bill allows for these boards to be merged into one tribunal that will address the various calls for revision sought by the public. Dr Gonzi said the tribunal will speed up the revision process and will serve as a one-stop shop.

The Prime Minister said the Cabinet had also approved the adjudication committee’s decision on low-cost airlines operating in Malta, and that the Tourism Minister has briefed Cabinet on the current state of the tourism industry.

During a brief question and answer session, the Prime Minister said his Tourism Minister Dr Francis Zammit Dimech continued to have his confidence and trust, adding that the present state of the tourism industry is a direct result of the tough competition the country is currently facing.

He said that there was a great need for the public to be cleaner and for the “bus and taxi drivers to improve the way they talk to tourists”.

With regard to the Brand Malta exercise, the Prime Minister said that it was not the brainchild of the inter-ministerial committee but it was the product of a seminar organised by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) for the stakeholders. As a result of this seminar, a foreign expert was brought over to Malta and after wide consultation, the branding exercise was drawn up.

Turning to the low-cost airlines issue, Dr Gonzi said the decision to open low cost routes was taken last March and that the incentives which government promised to the successful applicants will be granted on a per route basis.

The new communications and press secretary of the office of the Prime Minister Josephine Vassallo said that a post-cabinet meeting press brief will be held on a weekly basis.